Demons are a very real entity that Jesus said are seeking to steal, kill and destroy. While it is true that Pastors and Priests do deal with demonic presence, it is also true that every believer has been given power to do the same. Jesus also said in Luke 10:17-20 that He has given his followers power over the enemy. The seventy believers that he sent out, came back rejoicing that the demons were subject to them by using the name of Jesus. James 4:7 tells us to “submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” I would urge you to take seriously the presence of demonic activity when you see the works of the enemy concerning your life and family. Take the authority given by Jesus and rebuke the enemy and command any demon that is present to leave immediately in the name of Jesus. It is only by prayer that demons will leave. If you need more information contact me.
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More than likely the person was referring to a Bible verse found in Revelation 13 where the number 666 is called the number of the beast or the mark of the beast. This beast is thought to be the Antichrist who shows up during the Great Tribulation that begins immediately after the Rapture. This beast who has the number 666 represents all that is evil and that is opposed to God. We are living at a time where these events could happen at any moment. First the Rapture, this is when all born again believers are caught up to meet Jesus when He returns in the clouds. Next begins a seven year period called the Great Tribulation. This is when the wrath of God will be poured out upon the earth. The only way to escape this time is to accept and confess Jesus Christ as Lord today. Attending a marriage ceremony is an invitation to come and witness and celebrate the union of two people in marriage. For the Christian from Genesis to the teachings of Jesus marriage has always been about the joining together of one man and one woman. Same sex marriages have never been acceptable by God. It is very challenging when a culture accepts practices that are contrary to the Judeo-Christian teaching that has existed for thousands of years. Whether it is this sin or any other sin, we are told to love the person but to not condone or excuse the sin. Tell them you love them, God loves them but you can’t endorse or celebrate this decision that they have made. They will probably get married anyway and you then show them the same love just like anyone else who chooses to not obey God. When I read this question immediately dozens of verses began to race through my mind. There has been different many different verses that have been my favorite depending on what was happening in my life. If I had to choose only one it would be hard but I guess I will go with John 3:17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." This verse tells me that God wants to save us and not condemn us. The following verse 18, tells us that without Christ we are already condemned because of sin. Every person needs to hear that God has provided the only way to be saved from sin. The only way to be saved is to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. This one verse tells the gospel story pretty well. It gives me hope for today and hope for tomorrow. God wants you and I to not be condemned but to be saved. There is a series of events that are yet to take place according to the Bible. At any moment we could experience what is called the Rapture. This is when Jesus returns and all the believers will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Next, the 7-year Great Tribulation will happen on earth, in which the judgment of God will come to all those still here. At the conclusion of this 7-year period Satan is bound, the earth is judged and a 1000 year reign of peace will take place. Next there will be a Great White Throne Judgment and anyone not found written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire. God will then cause this earth to pass away and He will create a new heaven and a new earth. All sin, sorrow, death, pain will not be a part of this new earth. This is where God will dwell with man for all eternity. Pentecost Sunday is always celebrated 50 days after Passover. Passover was the Jewish feast that was happening when Jesus was crucified. The next major Jewish feast was the one called Pentecost or Feast of First Fruits. Both of these feasts have a Jewish significance but they also have a clear Christian significance. The Passover required an innocent lamb to die and the blood was applied so that the wrath of God would "Passover". For the Christian, Jesus was the lamb that was slain to take our sins upon himself. Pentecost was the Jewish celebration of the "First Fruits" of the harvest. For the Christian, it was during the feast of Pentecost, that the Holy Spirit was poured out on all the believers. Many scholars call this the birthday of the church. This was the celebration of the first fruits of those who would come to believe and receive Jesus as their Savior and be filled with the Holy Spirit. On that day 3000 were added to the church. Today for the Christian church, Pentecost is the celebration of the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit being given on all those who will believe. To this day it is the Holy Spirit that is working in and through the lives of those who will accept Christ as their Savior. There are more Holy Spirit filled believers on the earth today than at any time in Christian history. I immediately thought of Paul’s words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2-4 “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears from the truth”. Pastors need to stand firm on the Word of God and not be swayed by people who don’t want to hear the truth. Heaven and Hell are real. Certain things we do and lifestyles being lived today, God declares as sin. The only remedy for sin is to believe and accept Jesus Christ as Savior. Society does not get to condone sin and then the church follows. God has called the church, the believers to be a light set on a hill for all to see. Let us, the church, show what it really means to love God and to love people. We can share the truth in love. The challenge is to be loving but to also be true to God’s Word. I just found out that New Hope Community Church is a Pentecostal church. What does that really mean?5/23/2019 People seem to put churches in all sorts of groups or categories. There are Catholics, Protestants, Conservative, Full Gospel, Charismatic, Pentecostal, Evangelical and Main Line Denominational titles used to describe churches. To use several of these terms, New Hope Church is a Protestant Evangelical Pentecostal Church. What that means is that we believe: In the Holy Trinity-Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Bible is the only inspired Word of God. We are to spread the good news that salvation comes only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. That God desires for every believer to be filled with the Holy Spirit and power to be a witness for Him. That the gifts and the fruit of the Holy Spirit are to be active within the lives of the believer. Every week I meet with pastors from Wesleyan, Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal backgrounds and together we pray for each other, for our churches and for this community. Islam and Christianity have very different views on God, Jesus, Scripture and Salvation that are totally incompatible. Muhammad founded Islam in 622 AD after he claimed to receive a revelation from an angel who he first thought was Satan. Allah is the Moon God chosen by Muhammad to be the one true God, Jesus is not God’s son, Jesus did not die on the cross or rise from the dead. The bible cannot be trusted because Jews and Christians have corrupted it. Christianity believes in the One True God of the Bible. We are saved by grace through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God. "Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and no one can come to the Father except through Him". Only one of these religions are true, the other is based on lies and deception. You have taken a step in the right direction by admitting you’re an addict and that you need God. Addict, liar, gossip, adultery is doesn’t matter “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. First step to freedom is to admit you have sinned. Next step is to believe that only by accepting Jesus as your Savior and Lord can you be saved from your sins. Jesus came to set free those who are addicted, bound, taken captive by sin. Another important step is to take authority in the name of Jesus over any and all addicting spirits in your life and command them to be gone out of your life never to return. Then ask the Holy Spirit to come and fill you with His presence and power so you can live your life pleasing God. Daily pray and read God’s Word. Get under some good Christian teaching and fellowship so that you can continue to grow in your new life with God. |
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